RV Podcast #321: Using Google Photos [FREE!]

If you’re like most RVers, you take a lot of pictures. But what to do with them? In this week’s episode of the RV Podcast, we learn about using Google Photos and what it can do for you. Our Interview of the Week guests are Chris and Jim Guld, known as the “Geeks on Tour” to thousands because of the seminars they do across the country at RV rallies and shows and their online instruction. Chris just released her updated “Learn Google Photos” book and joins us to talk about how to store, organize, edit and share all those photos you take on your RV adventures. Plus, we have the latest RV News of the Week for you, RV tips, and another great off-the-beaten-path report from the Burketts. WHAT MIKE AND JENNIFER ARE UP TO THIS WEEK This week, we put up our Christmas Tree. It's a bit early, we know, but we all need some cheer. Besides, we've heard from lots of other RVers who have told us that they, too, were doing some early holiday decorating. Thus has been a challenging year, to be sure. But thinking about Christmas is a great way to shake off the negativity that seems to be hanging over the world in 2020. RV Podcast Programming Note: We're taking Thanksgiving week off the podcast. It's a busy time for everyone, us included, so we're off next Wednesday (Nov. 25). We'll be back the following week on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020 This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Camping World – America’s #1 RV Dealer You can get 10% off all purchases over $99 with the discount code RVLIFESTYLE10. RV PODCAST NEWS OF THE WEEK AAA expects Thanksgiving travel to drop significantly this year AAA is projecting about 50 million Americans will travel this Thanksgiving, but the organization says this is the biggest drop in travel seen since the recession of 2008. The decline is blamed on rising COVID-19 cases and an increase in unemployment and financial strain. The majority of those who do travel - 95 percent - will do so in a vehicle. And AAA is urging all travelers to plan ahead, know the route, and be sure to know the COVID-19 rules for any stops. Five die, including 1-year-old baby and a teenager, after floodwaters ravage North Carolina campground Five people died, including a 1-year-old child and a teenager, after floodwaters rushed through the Hiddenite Family Campground about 50 miles north of Charlotte last week. The heavy rain and accompanying flooding were the result of tropical storm Eta moving through the country. About 7-10 inches of rain fell in the downpour. Emergency personnel were able to rescue more than 30 people at the campground. Python hunters break records in snake capture in the Florida Everglades Florida snake hunters have caught a record number of Burmese pythons this year in the Florida Everglades - great news for everyone who loves that part of the country. (See our recent story on Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park here.) Burmese pythons are an invasive species that pet owners illegally released in the Everglades years ago, and have now increased in numbers so rapidly, they are causing massive damage to this unique ecosystem of the Everglades. The Florida governor has challenged two state agencies to take out more of the snakes, and the result has been competition and an increased effort by various snake hunters. As of mid--October, about 4,000 pythons have been caught and removed this year - shattering previous records. Louisiana state parks add safari-style glamping options to eight campgrounds Eight Louisiana state parks are offering camping experiences for those who don't own a camper or a tent. The state park created 60 "glamping" sites in its park system, each featuring safari-style tents on a raised floor with canvas sides. Each tent will have a bed, heating source, fire pit, chairs. The glampling sites are part of a state partnership with a company called Tentrr, with prices starting at $85 per night. Rocky Mountain National Park releases video so visitors can see damage caused by last month's massive wildfires Rocky Mountain National Park is continuing to open up more parts of the popular park closed after wildfires surged through the area last month, consuming hundreds of thousands of acres of forest, including about 30,000 acres - or 9 percent of the land inside the national park. Besides forests, the fires destroyed many historic structures. In fact, the fires are still burning, but because of snow and accompanying moisture, are not considered as much of a threat. The park put a video on its Facebook page so visitors could see for themselves what the fire did. It is a powerful video that we would urge anyone who cares about the park and is curious to know more to check out the video here. This part of the podcast is brought to you by RadPower Bikes, America's #1 e-bike brand, offering direct to consumer pricing on powerful premium electric bikes. Now with free shipping RV PODCAST QUESTION OF THE WEEK We answer some questions from listeners and play some of their recorded messages. To hear this segment, use the player below and go about 13:27 in We also share this tip: I just found out something interesting after getting my RV serviced. I have a 2017 class c with only 5000 miles and was told that, much to my suprise, the tires are old. I know that you have a big following with new and veteran rv'ers, and after a lengthy conversation with a tire manufacturer, I found this to be true. There is a DOT stamp on the tire with the date the tire was made and if not paid attention to could lead to a blowout. Maybe you could pass this along in one of your tire safety segments. Thank You - Burt Roy Good advice. Stamped on the outer sidewall of each tire is its birth date in a straightforward week/year format. Scan the tire sidewall in a clockwise pattern and find the letters “DOT” (which signifies the tire’s compliance with U.S. Department of Transportation’s laws & regulations). Just to the right of “DOT” (going clockwise) are a series of letters and numbers, followed by an encircled group of four, tightly spaced numbers – these are the numbers you need. The first two numbers represent the week of manufacture, the last two numbers indicate the year. For example, on one tire, the date code is “2118.” Which indicates the tire was manufactured in the 21st week of the year. The number “18” represents the year 2018. A general rule of thumb is a tire has a maximum life of about ten years. Beginning at five years, tires should be annually inspected for condition and signs of age-related degradation. “If the tires haven't been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, as a precaution, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tires. Even if they appear to be in usable condition and have not worn down to the tread wear indicator. This applies to spare tires as well.” – MichelinMan.com Dry rotting and cracking are common with aged tires. As the tire materials degrade, they show the visual signs of breaking down. Here’s a helpful link on determining the age of your tire. Do you have a question you’d like us to answer or a comment on the things we’re discussing? If so, we invite you to leave us that question or comment on the special voicemail number we have for the podcast – it’s 586-372-6990. This part of the RV Podcast is brought to you by Battle Born Batteries, maker of quality, safe and reliable- and NOW HEATED - lithium batteries that can be installed in just about every RV. Get in touch with Battle Born to find out what lithium batteries and an upgraded energy management system can add to your RV Lifestyle. Check them out at https://rvlifestyle.com/lithium RV PODCAST INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK - Using Google Photos To hear this segment, use the player below and go about 22:32 in Our guests are Chris and Jim Guld, known as the “Geeks on Tour” to thousands because of the seminar they do across the country at RV rallies and shows and their online instruction. Chris just released her updated “Learn Google Photos” book and is here to talk about how to store, organize, edit and share all those photos you take on your RV adventures. You can get more info about Chris’ book “Learn Google Photos” at Learn Google Photos Book Summary Here is a video version of our interview about Using Google Photos in which Chris shows some of the things she made with the app: Here is a full transcript of the interview about Using Google Photos: Mike Wendland: From the RV influential community out there, Jim and Chris Guld, you know them as the Geeks on Tour or Mr. and Mrs. Geek. Guys, it's great to see you. How are you? Jim Guld: Oh, great, man. How are you? Mike Wendland: I'm great Chris Guld: We are doing exceptionally well for the times that we are in. Mike Wendland: Yes, these are strange times. And one of the reasons I asked you on the show this week is to kind of help people take advantage of maybe a little extra time they have, because few people are traveling as much as they used to. And that has to do with the stuff that you, Chris just wrote about in your new book, Learn Google Photos. Hey, I got one, you got one. Now we got to get all of our audience to get one, and we'll work with links. We'll put links t in the description below so you can find this book. Jim Guld: Cool. Mike Wendland: But Chris and Jim have been teaching, as I said in the intro, they've been teaching photos and tech stuff to the RV community for years, and this book is just a really handy resource for us as we look at photos. But right now, as we approach the holidays, as this episode is being aired, a lot of people are thinking about holiday gifts or they're going back and thinking about all those photos they've taken over the last several years. Chris,